World Cup 2022 FIFA World Cup - Group D - (France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia)

[dirty2]

1.8m viewers watched Aus v Denmark. This doesnt include viewers at live sites.

The game hasn't even happened yet...

 

[Jeremias]

To be fair, our form leading up to this world cup was patchy (at best) and we had not won a group match at the World Cup finals in 2006.

That's a reason to doubt their credentials and whether they can progress, not to s**t on them to the extent that you have.

I was probably too harsh and cynical about our chances absolutely, the 2nd half against France was appalling, not going to lie didn't think we had much of a chance against Tunisia, can anyone here honestly say they did after the performance against France (whom granted are still probably the world's best team despite all their injuries, with the current best player in the world Mbappe) ?

To be fair, most people understand there's a massive gulf in class between France and Tunisia, so I reckon there were plenty who thought we could get a result against the latter.

Don't confuse your irrational posting with people's abilities to understand that performance in context.

 

[SM]

Souttar by far MOTM against Tunisia. His second half was enormous.

That tackle, oh my.

 

[SM]

To be fair, our form leading up to this world cup was patchy (at best) and we had not won a group match at the World Cup finals in 2006.

I was probably too harsh and cynical about our chances absolutely, the 2nd half against France was appalling, not going to lie didn't think we had much of a chance against Tunisia, can anyone here honestly say they did after the performance against France (whom granted are still probably the world's best team despite all their injuries, with the current best player in the world Mbappe) ?

2010?

 

[Sausages]

The Danes, like other continental teams, can be prone to 'we dgaf atm'.

This robs them of passion, which is what they display when playing their best. They are, rightly, wary of our team mentality - they themselves would know that they are playing without that attribute.

We, always, look our best when we play as a unit. The Danes are good enough to flick a switch and turn up the heat though.

As always....we will create enough chances to put a score on the board. If we do, our destiny belongs to us.

I believe

 

[Elmer_Judd]

That's a reason to doubt their credentials and whether they can progress, not to s**t on them to the extent that you have.



To be fair, most people understand there's a massive gulf in class between France and Tunisia, so I reckon there were plenty who thought we could get a result against the latter.

Don't confuse your irrational posting with people's abilities to understand that performance in context.

Fair enough, been burnt so many times by the Socceroos in tbe past, I have been become a bit jaded and cynical.

Even if we can only manage a draw against Denmark and not qualify for the next round, I would consider our campaign a success.

 

[Zidane98]

The game hasn't even happened yet...

Ah ffs! Maybe that many will watch at 2am mid week ...

 

[Jeremias]

Fair enough, been burnt so many times by the Socceroos in tbe past, I have been become a bit jaded and cynical.

Even if we can only manage a draw against Denmark and not qualify for the next round, I would consider our campaign a success.

If we draw we go through, unless we see a massive upset in the other game.

 

[dirty2]

Ah ffs! Maybe that many will watch at 2am mid week ...

Lol well... I'll b one of the silly ones watching..

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Mooy has probably been the Socceroos best player in both WC games so far (maybe level with Souttar in the Tunisia game). So I don't buy the argument that he's not good enough for Champions League. You don't have to be quick to play that role. Phillips isn't particularly quick either. I doubt Phillips would have got many starts for City even if he was fit.

I don't think there's much between them. Phillips is probably better defensively but tends to play a lot of sideways and backwards passes. Mooy is more incisive in taking his team forward.

Mooy was tried at DM at Celtic and no longer plays there even when they lost their starter there. Ange instead started another player who hasn’t played that position before. He didn’t start in any of the CL games until the last meaningless game. And this is with Ange. He didn’t get regular playing time with Brighton.

Phillips was known for his long balls at Leeds so not sure about just short stuff. He’s also faster than Mooy and clearly better player.

As for his World Cup, yea it’s been good but to now say he’d be one of the better DMs when he failed at that position with Ange is a bit silly. Is Souttar one of the best PL CBs now?

 

[craigos]

Do I go to bed early, get up around 11pm and sink some beers? Unfortunately I don't think there is a place showing the game where I currently am.

What's everyones plans? Guttered I'm not in Melbourne.

 

[Satan]

Do I go to bed early, get up around 11pm and sink some beers? Unfortunately I don't think there is a place showing the game where I currently am.

What's everyones plans? Guttered I'm not in Melbourne.

Sbs on demand ?

 

[Sqotty from office works]

Unusual, the Serbians behaving like petulant schoolboys and poor actors also.

 

[DaRick]

The Danes, like other continental teams, can be prone to 'we dgaf atm'.

This robs them of passion, which is what they display when playing their best. They are, rightly, wary of our team mentality - they themselves would know that they are playing without that attribute.

We, always, look our best when we play as a unit. The Danes are good enough to flick a switch and turn up the heat though.

As always....we will create enough chances to put a score on the board. If we do, our destiny belongs to us.

I believe

DEN are a Top 10 side, but Christian Eriksen is really their only obvious creative outlet, which explains why they struggled to break a well-organised side in Tunisia down.

He's lost a lot of his athleticism and can be closed down and/or bullied off the ball, but he's a real threat at set-pieces and he can conjure up a defence-splitting killer ball. The first attribute worries me, because I expect that we'll concede quite a few corners.

Also, Schmeichel/Kjaer have stepped things up after average/injury-prone seasons, and while Christensen can be ruffled, he has been good for Barcelona, so we might well need to pull another Duke out of the bag to secure a draw.

I say this because the last thing we want is their wingers killing us on the counter because we conceded early and have to chase the game. Their wingers are among their less notable players, but they can still burn opposing full-backs.

 

[TommyD13]

Would rather play England in a 1/4 final in the highly unlikely event we make it. The exposure for the sport would be enormous. The entire country would be talking about nothing else in the leadup to it.

You'd rather that than Brazil semi? Obviously both unrealistic so kinda a pointless debate, but I have to say I would rather a Brazil semi for the reasons you've mentioned.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Mooy was tried at DM at Celtic and no longer plays there even when they lost their starter there. Ange instead started another player who hasn’t played that position before. He didn’t start in any of the CL games until the last meaningless game. And this is with Ange. He didn’t get regular playing time with Brighton.

Phillips was known for his long balls at Leeds so not sure about just short stuff. He’s also faster than Mooy and clearly better player.

As for his World Cup, yea it’s been good but to now say he’d be one of the better DMs when he failed at that position with Ange is a bit silly. Is Souttar one of the best PL CBs now?

Mooy had plenty of game time in the EPL with Brighton and Huddersfield. He has played the DM role. Averaged 2.8 tackles per game for Huddersfield in 2017/18. Phillips best is 2.7. But he's more suited to playmaker, especially now he's 32. He probably suffered a bit when he first got to Celtic by not having a pre-season.

 

[moomba]

Phillips and Mooy is a really weird comparison to make. Mooy was sold over 5 years ago.

 

[kozi]

If things went REALLY well, we could feasibly end up playing one of Poland or Saudi Arabia in RO16, and then play the winner of Ecuador and Iran in a QF! Things would have to go our way obviously, and I am definitely not getting ahead of myself at all... see you in the SF Neymar

Small minded Arnie pouring all his focus into Denmark when he really should be preparing for Brazil

 

[Frank Bunn]

Phillips and Mooy is a really weird comparison to make. Mooy was sold over 5 years ago.

Mooy had a tough gig to get into that City midfield that included Fernandinho, Yaya, De Bruyne, Silva, Gundogan, Sterling, Fernando. They moved him onto to Huddersfield where he had three good seasons.

Phillips has had one good season in the PL for Leeds but I doubt he would have got many games in that City side.

 

[moomba]

Mooy had a tough gig to get into that City midfield that included Fernandinho, Yaya, De Bruyne, Silva, Gundogan, Sterling, Fernando. They moved him onto to Huddersfield where he had three good seasons.

Phillips has had one good season in the PL for Leeds but I doubt he would have got many games in that City side.

Would have loved to see him play even one game, but a pretty tough ask to get in that lineup.

The move to Huddersfield was undoubtedly a great thing for his career. Only a few years earlier he was starting to make a name for himself in the A league.

Phillips really only has Rodri ahead of him, if he can get/stay fit he should get plenty of gametime.

 

[revo333]

Should we progress to the 16 does anyone know when the game would likely take place?

Trying to find out as early as possible, thanks.

 

[Jatz]

That tackle, oh my.

The bit of play that let that through in the first place was a bit hilarious. Souttar certainly saved some embarrassment there.

 

[mcgarnacle]

To be fair, our form leading up to this world cup was patchy (at best) and we had not won a group match at the World Cup finals in 2006.

I was probably too harsh and cynical about our chances absolutely, the 2nd half against France was appalling, not going to lie didn't think we had much of a chance against Tunisia, can anyone here honestly say they did after the performance against France (whom granted are still probably the world's best team despite all their injuries, with the current best player in the world Mbappe) ?

2010. Australia hadn't won a world cup match since the 2-1 win vs Serbia in Mbombela.

2014 and 2018 were tough with the best result a 1-1 draw v Denmark - the 2nd group match in 2018.

What has me worried about the upcoming match is fatigue. There's a good chance the Socceroos will be blown off the park simply because Arnold hasn't got the luxury of rotating players. It's not a one-off game. It's the 3rd match of the tournament and in 7 days, teams are settling in to play, and it's where skill and fitness begin to shine. That's why only a handful of nations have won the whole ******* thing.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

2010. Australia hadn't won a world cup match since the 2-1 win vs Serbia in Mbombela.

2014 and 2018 were tough with the best result a 1-1 draw v Denmark - the 2nd group match in 2018.

What has me worried about the upcoming match is fatigue. There's a good chance the Socceroos will be blown off the park simply because Arnold hasn't got the luxury of rotating players. It's not a one-off game. It's the 3rd match of the tournament and in 7 days, teams are settling in to play, and it's where skill and fitness begin to shine. That's why only a handful of nations have won the whole ******* thing.

Well said Mac (trying to eat my lunch here haha)

Arnold is in a no win situation with this Socceroos squad, especially from ex Socceroos nuffies who honestly believed we could have grinded out a result against reigning world champions France (whom are still good things to repeat as champs despite all their injuries)

I think it's arguable 32 nations in this tournament is too many going by the criteria you said, if the rumours are true about increasing it to 48 in future tournaments, than FIFA has well and truly lost the plot and irrecoverably ruined the greatest show on Earth..

The USA/North America and their current course of development (despite their sketchy results at this WC so far) are on track to win a WC in the next 20 years imo.

I think we as an Australian Football Community should be looking to model our platform and development, both at domestic (MLS and A League) on the Yanks and their model of domestic and international football, rather than a clearly unviable Euro League structure of promotion and relegation (hypothetically speaking if Pro/Rel was introduced here, who would actually bother to watch or attend games in a shithole like Green Gully, which is smack bang in the middle of nowhere) ?

 

[Upstart Swan]

Fun fact: Mitchell Duke has scored more World Cup goals than Mark Viduka. Another goal on Thursday morning and he'll be in Brett Holman territory...